It takes service that is extraordinarily abusive for me to spend time writing a review, but my encounter with the UPS store near BC (2193 Comm Ave) rises to the occasion. I am pressed to remember a store owner (Dominick, I was told) who was as abusive, arrogant, and angry or service so unfriendly and discourteous.
I brought a fairly small box for shipment back to an e-retailer with a prepaid UPS tag. The corner of the box needed resealing, so I asked if he could run a small piece of tape across it, since his tape dispense was sitting one inch from the box. The taping would have taken (with no exaggeration) a few seconds. He told me (with a level of arrogance I have seldom experienced) "no," and that I would have to come back or buy roll of tape (at about $4.00-5.00) and seal it myself, because the shipping was pre-paid. He was telling me this as his employee was sealing up a box right next to mine. So, I bought his tape, used a few inches of it to seal the box (I did ask he was planning to charge me for using the scissors). He asked if wanted a receipt for the drop off, as if that was an extraordinary request. His attitude suggested that it should be a privileged to use his store. What I found stunning was that a simple ten second gesture (that by the way is not a problem at FedEx stores or the Post Office) was not only outside his policy, but he took delight in enforcing his rules. He did not seem to care if I came back or not. Obviously he never uttered the phrase, thank you.
I called UPS, just to give them some feedback. They were appalled, apologized, and referred me to the corporate office for the UPS stores. That office apologized and actually offered to refund the money extorted from me from this not-very-customer-friendly store. They said that this is NOT the typical behavior and attitude of UPS stores.
At a UPS store, we want only two things: (1) to get a packge from point a to b reliably and (2) to be treated with courtesy and respect. This store's failure rate was 50%. Frankly, if there ever was a problem with a lost package or a special request, I am not confident that this store would be helpful. My advice: use FedEx or another UPS store, where you will be treated with dignity and not have to worry that the store's attitude is a reflection of its overall reliability. To save you time, the next closest location is 1085 Commonwealth Ave, Boston or 288 Washington St, Brookline MA .or 423 Brookline Ave or 258 Harvard St. FedEx is Coolidge Corner. Do yourself a favor and avoid this place
ADDENDUM
I append this note two days later. Just when you think it could not get worse, you find that it can. Last night I found, sitting on my doorstep, a UPS delivery... the same box that I dropped off to be sent back to a retailer. Apparently, the store is not only rude, but not terribly competent, because it failed to attach the shipping label that I BROUGHT IN AND HANDED TO THE OWNER OF THE UPS STORE. I removed as much as the old label from the shipping box as possible, with the next step of the store to attach the news label over the old one. They did not and apparently scanned the old label and returned the box to me. This now means that I have to either (1) take time to drive this back to another UP'S store and go through the process again or (2) pay $15 in advance out of my own pocket for a UPS driver to pick it up. By the way, since UPS and UPS stores are separate entities, the UPS Store will not waive the pick up charge, even if it their fault. They consented to refund the money, but I would have to wait around for a driver all day, pay out of my own pocket, and then they would reimburse me the $15. My time is worth a little more than that.
The UPS Store corporate office at this point has refused to resolve this without it being an inconvenience to me. They are insisting I pay for the return shipment in advance. As an addition piece of humor-of-incompetence, I spoke with the retailer (Wayfair) today telling them the package would be arriving late. They could not have been nicer, but were confused and said they received a package in Rhode Island today with my shipping bill. The only way that could happen would be if the UPS Store attached my label to someone else's package. Sadly, that other poor beleaguered customer may find that his/her gift to a family member or the time-sensitive item that needed to be somewhere today didn't arrive. As a final note, I would bet that if the store owner sees this, he will post a response that will not be an apology, but may somehow find a way to blame the customer for this series of inept mistakes, making all this somehow, my fault. If it were one problems, that would be enough,. Two problems and I consider it a train wreck. I mentioned in the earlier post that at a UPS store we want only two things: (1) to get a package from point a to b reliably and (2) to be treated with courtesy and respect. This store's failure rate has increased form 50% to 100% read more